The Paston School, 1606 -

Sir William Paston, he up and said.... and so the School began. With a little help from Reverend Michael Tylles. It wasn't the Paston family's first educational venture, as they had founded Caister College in the 15th Century at the bequest of a Knight called Fastolf.If you like a bit of history on the Paston Family, famous for its Paston Letters, and seriously big at the time, there's a bafflingly complicated account of it and the Paston Letters here, related to Fastolf's Will and called "The Paston Family in the 15th Century" Looking at the Olde English style, its no wonder the Paston motto got slightly modified over the years.

Incidentally, the Paston family motto was similar, being "All for the best" compared to the School "From Good to Better Everywhere"There is an overview (not great) online on Wiki here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paston_College

There is also a book, by Charles Robert Forder called "A History of the Paston School". I will dig out my copy and add some precis of it. This book is available for purchase from the Paston College. We can collect orders for it here and pass on to the School Administration to supply.

The School Song(Society Trafalgar Day Bicentenary 2005)

More School Song Audio

Paston Chronology

A short chronology of Paston (1606 - 2006):

1528 William Paston born1606 Sir William Paston's Free School opened 1766 new school building completed (new head Rev John Price Jones)1768 Horatio Nelson (b1758) at Paston School (1768-71)1878 George Wimble headmaster (1878 - 1904)1902 Balfour Education Act created Local Education Authorities 1908 Paston becomes "a public secondary school" under the new Norfolk LEA. 1908-1939 New buildings erected. 1922 Major Percival Pickford: headmaster (1922 - 46). In 1946 270 boys - many coming to Paston by rail - "train boys"1926 & 1939 New buildings1944 Butler Education Act - abolition of fees1946 Lt Colonel Kenneth Marshall - headmaster (1946 - 75)1953 Paston becomes a "voluntary aided" grammar school1971 Paston becomes a "voluntary controlled" grammar school1984 Paston Sixth Form College created. Sixth form colleges remain the most successful type of "sixth form" in the state maintained sector. There are only 100 nationally and only 2 in Norfolk1993 Incorporated as an independent College of Further Education (1991 Further and Higher Education Act)2006- Paston College is a success story: a highly successful sixth form college of 620 students drawn from 400 square miles of rural, coastal and broadland north Norfolk. Paston College - a note for editorsPaston College is North Norfolk's sixth form college - the only specialist college in North Norfolk for students aged 16-19. It offers a wide curriculum of A and AS subjects, as well as BTEC, GNVQ and GCSE courses. Sixth form colleges are the most successful type of college/school in the UK for AS/A-level study and progression to University. In 2005 Paston has been placed in the top 10 colleges nationally for its performance at AS level and in the top 25 for A level. Inspected by Ofsted in March 2003, Paston received a highly positive report, emphasising the quality of teaching and support for students. Besides around 600 full time "sixth form" students, aged 16-19,

The School Song - Words

The normal abridged format of the School Song...

The full song, rarely remembered in its entirety and even more rarely sung, with a few surprises.

Changes in the Song:

WODEHOUSE er TENISON er WOODHOUSE the school song... verse 4we don't know why it changed name but it did and here's some bits and bobs about it. An hour with Charles Forder's 'History' book turns up Robert Woodhouse, 1772-1827 [at school 1790-98], who became Lucasian Prof at Cambridge (the job Stephen Hawking now has - as did Isaac Newton; neither OPs, so of little consequence). He also introduced (and possibily invented) the Differential Calculus. Forder says his 'influence was great and his reputation widespread.' I think Wodehouse was dropped and Tennyson/Tennison/Tenison put in his place when The Song was reduced from six verses to three; obviously Archbishops are more important than Professors of Maths... There was also his brother, John Thomas (!!!), who was a physician at Addenbrooke's, and decribed as 'author and eccentric'.(Thanks Nick G)

Google StreetView

If you want to see the school is still there, in Grammar School Road, Google Streetview(tm) can walk you around the outside at least.

You can get a simplistic YouTube Tour of the school entrance and playgrounds from the HomePage.